They are expected to be charged with receiving and concealing stolen property with a value of $20,000 or more.

Mast said Zeckzer and McCallum are currently lodged in the Oceana County Jail on unrelated charges.

Police say the men stole wire from three Oceana County farms, beginning on July 19. They took the wire — used to power large irrigation devices — for a small amount of copper inside the wires, which they are selling at scrapyards for cash, investigators said.

The targeted farms in the eastern part of the county use large pivoting irrigation systems that are powered by “heavy-gauge electrical wiring” that is worth much more than the copper it contains, police said.

The following farms were targeted, according to police.

• On July 19, Heritage Farms — Market, Bakery and Gifts, 1858 S. Maple Island, had 750 feet of the expensive wiring taken from an irrigation unit in Newfield Township.

• Michigan State Police from the Hart Post took a complaint July 30 from Arbre Farms, 9656 N. Dickinson, Walkerville. Farm owners said $5,000 worth of wire had been taken from a well in Colfax Township, police said.